A Few Personal Things
by Dreaming of Jack
Summary: The weekend during 'Lost City.' J/S ..CHAPTER 7 and Final Chapter 8 UP! thank you so much for reading! greatly appreciated!
1. Only a weekend

"With your permission sir, I'd like to take the weekend to get some personal things together."

Only a weekend, Jack mused as he sat in the bedroom, staring at the neatly written pages and envelopes sitting on the top of his desk. Only a weekend to condense what seemed like a lifetime of memories into a few short hours of writing thoughts and feelings to those he loved most. He knew the value of such letters from days in his black ops, having to deliver personal letters from comrades to grieving widows and families. He had thought hard through the day and night, remembering little events, scattered memories of things that had almost been forgotten but now came back in a rush; the whole seven years past rushing to the foreground as surely as the swoosh of the Stargate event horizon.

Only a weekend to let them know how he felt, in case he was lost forever to the Ancient device.

He didn't regret doing what he did, sticking his head in that thing. He was a soldier. He did what had to be done.

Now he had to use the little time he had left on this earth.

Letting them know.

Letting her know.

He stretched the kinks from his cramped arms and began to reread the letters.


	2. Dear General

Dear General Hammond.

It seems odd to address such a letter at such a time so formally. I should be calling you George, you would think. But you know me, sir. I've lived by rank, and even now when it seems that I am going to die, anything else would seem strange. I've loved my days in the Air Force, and loved even more being a part of Stargate Command under your leadership.

You know that I am not the most vocal of men when it comes to speeches, or letting people know that they have done well. I'm more apt to chew them out when they screw up my little world. But in your case, I make the exception. You have been a true leader. A true friend, and quite possibly the best example I will ever see of patience, tolerance, and understanding. Knowing what I put you through every day, I am only grateful for the length of the lead on which you held me. I know you saw right through me, and my little tough guy act, and knew the hidden person buried in there somewhere. Even when I was kicking your office wall in, you never lost your cool, and you earned something that is hard to come by with me. My respect. And for that I salute you.

You are the most responsible and fair person I could imagine, General, so I want you to oversee my 'estate', as it were. With the exception of a few personal bequests, I want my house to be sold and the proceeds gone to the families of the SG personnel lost off world. I know that it has eaten you out every time a mission comes back with a team member lost, and how it has bothered you to send good people out not knowing if they will come back. Small compensation though it is, I want to help those families as much as you. Which brings me to my next point. Janet. I know I don't have to tell your this, being the seasoned soldier and all, but I'll say it anyway, General. It wasn't your fault. Crap happens in the field, and as much as we hate it, losing people is sometimes part of the job. Janet knew this as much as anyone, and the beauty of her was she was ready to give her life for those she helped.

I loved the way you saw right through the manipulators like Anise, the evilness of Kinsey, and could have cheered when you tossed out Col. Simmons on his ear.

But as much as you saw through me, I saw through you, General. I know that there's a bit of the explorer buried deep within you. I see your eyes every time we march up that ramp, away from our Earth, and into the great unknown. You want to be out there with us sometimes, reveling in the excitement, the danger, the wonder of new worlds, new civilizations, new people. I've seen your eyes the few times you've been off world with us, and the beam on your face is unmistakable, like a kid on Christmas morning. Instead you're chained to the desk here, coping with all the boring minutae of our life , waiting in the control room with Walter, and making sure Siler always fixes everything.

And so I leave you my beloved telescope, General. Use it on those nights when you hunger to be off world, when the paperwork gets too much, when the briefings run too long. Use it with your granddaughters on a clear night in your yard, teaching them about the wonders of the galaxy, and how they should never be afraid to explore. Stand there and gaze at a far star and think of our wild ride here, and how I hoped it would never end.

Thank you for being there.

For everything you said when you needed to.

For everything you saw but didn't comment on.

For being who you are.

I will always remember.

Jack.


	3. My Warrior Brother

Dear Teal'c.

Respect .

That's what it has always been about with us, my friend. I respected your ways, and as a member of SG-1, you respected mine.

From the first moment you tossed me that staff weapon, we became brothers.

You have always been there for me, T. Even when that snake-ass Apophis brainwashed you, I knew that it wasn't your doing alone, that you would have come back to us if you could. You have always had my trust in the field, and I could be one hundred percent certain of your support on my every decision, even the ones you didn't like or understand. That you were always there to watch our backs, and would have given your life for any of your team members. Loyalty to ones' team mates. Never leave a man behind. The chain of command was something that you respected, and followed, from Hammond on down. That is something I also share. As a soldier, I was taught to obey. As First Prime, you would have done the same... We are alike that way, my friend.

I know that your past contains many haunting images of your days as that First Prime, horrors that no amount of kel-no-reeming can erase. I share those horrors from my black op days, Teal'c. The key is to not let them take over our lives, but make amends by doing the best we can from now on.

Fighting with honor.

You taught me that a true warrior will always have honor, and a battle fought without it is a hollow victory indeed.

Even when I was ready to murder you for going after Taneth, and getting us crashed on the planet, I understood deep down that you had to seek revenge. That it was a part of you that would never be complete unless you felt you had honored the death of your loved one in this way. It was not my way but yours, and I respected that.

I remember the day we were trapped in the death glider, and slipping ever farther from Earth with every awful second. It was a tribute to you, my friend, that if I had to die trapped 'in the cold of space', that yours was one of the few faces I would have wanted with me.

Your support and concern for me when Carter was missing to us on the Prometheus, is something I will never forget. You knew how I tried to pretend, and change the subject, but insisted on letting me know what I could not admit even to myself, much less out loud.

I enjoyed watching you accustom yourself to our Earth ways, T. The obvious pleasure you got from little things like ice cream, Star War movies, and tabloid stories never got old with me. I imagine there was very little fun to be had on Chulak- not a lot of Jaffa hang out in bowling alleys or go to the movies on a Saturday night. I want you to continue having fun, Teal'c. I want you to continue seeing Daniel and Carter like we always did- team nights, just hanging out, eating pizza and enjoying each other's company. Just because I won't be there anymore is no reason not to continue. Besides, I will be there in spirit- maybe like Daniel when he ascended. Only I'll be the annoying fly in the room, the static you can't fix on the tv.

To that end, I'm giving you my golf clubs, T. Get Daniel to take you out, and relax and have fun. That's what life is all about, Teal'c- companionship, friendship, and caring and love. With people you consider more family than your own sometimes. Which is what you have been to me all these years. A brother, a comrade in arms, and one of the two best friends I will ever have.

Wild horses couldn't have dragged us apart, Teal'c.

Only death can do that.

Take pride in your accomplishment as a wonderful father to Ry'ac, and make time for yourself to be happy with Ishta. Life is nothing without love, T. The days are short, and the years go by fast.

Remember that.

Fight well, my warrior brother.

Laugh, and love, and be happy.

I'll miss you.

Jack.


	4. Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel.

You know I'm not great at this letter stuff. You are the articulate one of our group, the one that has all the diplomacy, always says the right thing, the humane thing, even when it was annoying. I was the one that charged on blindly ahead, as you once put it.

Well, I am grateful to you that you have been right all these years. That you have been such a good friend and put up with this grumpy old soldier. You saved us all so many times, with the Unas, with Alar; so many times it was your knowledge and compassion that saved us from making terrible mistakes.

So I depend on you again, Daniel.

A personal favor.

Look after Sam for me. I have a letter to give her too, but I am leaving it up to you whether or not you want to give it to her. You see, I screwed up. I should have said something or acted years ago .Now I am afraid it may be too late. She has someone else, I think. I don't know whether it is serious or not, so I am leaving it up to you to decide. I don't want to ruin any chance of happiness she might have, but if by some miracle I get out of this mess, I want her to know how I felt.

You know, Daniel.

I loved her.

I want her to know that.

But not if it will be at the expense of her future happiness, so I am leaving it up to your always wise self to make the right decision. The letter is addressed to Sam in your care.

I know I can trust your judgement, Spacemonkey.

I always have.

Even when it seemed like we were going nose to nose, I knew deep down that you were right. You were the glue that held the team together, the voice of wisdom, of caution, of justice. I never gave you the appreciation you deserved, and for that I am deeply sorry. I want you to know how much I cared, both on a professional level, and as your friend.

You and Teal'c were, and are, the best friends a man could ask for.

When you ascended, it felt like the heart was ripped from our team. I shut out Carter at first, wouldn't let her in or grieve in front of me. Because i was afraid I would lose it. My feelings were so deep. It was only after the little breeze by the elevator came that I knew you were still with us, and things would be ok. When you came back, it felt like all was right with the world again.

I was sorrier than I could say when you lost Shar'ee. When you delivered her baby, I saw even more what kind of a man you were, that you were caring for her and her baby, that it didn't matter that Apophis was the father, it was part of the woman you loved. I wish you could have had Shar'ee live out her days as your wife, free from the Goua'ld, but it wasn't to be, Daniel. I know that you accept this now.

I wished after that happened that you and Janet would find happiness together. When she was killed, I saw how much you were suffering, and ached for you, my friend. I hope that whatever happens in the future, you get a break. You deserve one if anyone does. You deserve to be happy with a good woman, and have children. You will be a wonderful father someday, Daniel. You are caring, and fair, and have an unending capacity to love. The wonder that is in your eyes with every new experience is a tremendous thing. Even with all that has happened, you have never become cynical or bitter. You are truly the kindest person I know.

I am giving you something very precious to me. It's the airplane models that are in my living room that Charlie and I built together. I want you to give them to your son someday, and tell him about his Uncle Jack who would have taken him to ball games, and loved him very much. I want to you have my yo-yo, too, and play it with him. Keep that childhood wonder that you have in you alive, Daniel. It's a great thing. Do it for me.

I leave you with my thanks for looking after Sam for me.

For being the annoying, wonderful, always right guy you are.

I said it once, and I'll say it again, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Dr. Jackson.

My true friend.

Spacemonkey.

Take care.

Jack.


	5. Sam's sleepless night

What to wear.

What the hell to wear when you went over to tell someone that you loved them.

That was the hard part, Sam thought, throwing what seemed like the zillionth outfit onto her already overflowing bed. How the heck did she get so many clothes, anyway, she wondered. She spent half her life in fatigues, it seemed, so when did she find time to shop and wear all this? " I guess Janet or Cass bought it for me, " she thought aloud. "Must have just stuffed it in the closet and forgot about it. "

She sighed. No use trying to sleep anymore. She had given that up in disgust about 4 am, and the birds beginning to chirp outside in the darkness told her it was later than that. The thought of life without the Colonel, without Jack, had haunted her as she tossed and turned all night long, and she finally realized that she had better sort out her feelings and let him know, before it was too late.

The thought of what she was about to do scared her more than she would admit. It was wrong with Pete, she realized. I've been fooling myself and him. I don't know how I let things go as long as they did, she thought. I guess I was just confused after the hallucination I had on the ship. Maybe I thought that when Dad told me I deserved to be loved, I should find someone else. Stop dreaming for what can't be. But that's impossible. I can't stop thinking of the Colonel, of Jack, any more than I could cut off my right arm. When I said it wouldn't be easy, I wasn't kidding, she thought to herself.

Sam walked over slowly and rested her head against her bedroom window, staring unseeingly at the blackness outside, hoping that the answers would come.

Pete cares about me, she thought, but I don't care about him the same way. So I've let him care like an old puppy dog, because it was easy, and safe, and that's wrong. It's using him. Because the one man I do love is out of my reach, and now that he's dying, he's going to die thinking I didn't care.

But it isn't true, I do, she thought to herself, going and wildly throwing outfits onto the bed. I love him just as much as I said I did years ago during that zatar'c testing. Maybe more, she realized. I'm just scared, that's all. I'm just scared that he won't feel the same, and my heart will break into a zillion little pieces. It seemed easier to just go on the way we were, pretending, but now we can't. I've been taking him for granted. That he'll always be there. But now he won't. And if I don't make the first move, it'll be too late.

She angrily wiped the tears that had begun to course down her cheeks, and sat down heavily on her bed.

What the hell was the matter with her, she thought. She was the fearless soldier, the Major Carter who blew up suns and took on opposing Jaffa without a flinch. Now she was being defeated by a closet of clothes??!!

She sighed and wished for the thousandth time that night that Janet was there. Steady, wonderful Janet, who would pluck the perfect outfit from all this mess, calm all her fears and shoo her out the door. With no argument. Daniel was wonderful, and Teal'c was wise, but there were times when you just needed a girlfriend, she thought. A girlfriend to tell her that she was being an idiot, to hug her and dry her tears, to help her get dressed and over there pronto. Well, it was time to put what she had learned from Janet into action. She steadied herself, and marched to the closet again.

Uniform. For sure no. Waay too formal.

Fatigues. No. He saw them every day.

Dress.. No. What the heck, was this a date when the poor man hadn't even probably had coffee or woke up yet?

T shirt. Check. A nice pretty flowered one, showing some cleavage. Not too much. And a jean jacket to keep it casual.

Jeans or skirt? She settled on the skirt, more feminine.

And makeup. Hide the sleepless bags, and the tear stains. She again wished for Janet's steady hand as she applied the unfamiliar stuff, trying to get it perfect.

Earrings. Nice ones that Cassie had bought her.

She silently blessed her father for getting her ears pierced as a teenager.

Done.

Now if she could only get over there...move feet...breathe...

Time for action.

She stuffed her car keys in her pocket, took a deep steadying breath, and went out the door.


	6. Discovery

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reading and reviews!! Not too long now till the happy ending!!

"Well, it's nice to see that some things don't change," remarked Daniel in a somewhat rueful voice as he surveyed the mess of the kitchen in front of him. " Indeed," said Teal'c, as he kicked what seemed to be a pile of beer caps where they were tossed in the corner of the room. "Well, come on, guys, we are supposed to be getting the place cleaned up and locked tight in case the Colonel gets back anytime soon, " said Sam somewhat crossly as she started emptying the fridge of things that might perish. "General Hammond requested Dr. Weir that it should be us personally, you know. "

"Do you think that the Asguard will be able to unfreeze O'Neill from the wall in the Antarctic outpost, Major Carter?, asked Teal'c quietly to her.

"I have to believe it, Teal'c. ," she snapped suddenly. " I just can't start thinking otherwise, now can I? Otherwise I'll just give up, and you know the Colonel deserves better than that, from all of us, right ?

"Of course, Sam, you know that", Daniel answered quickly. "it's just that it's a big question if we can even contact the Asguard, and if you can't make it back..."

"We have to, Daniel, we just do."

She sat down heavily at the kitchen table, suddenly too tired and dejected to go on with the cleaning. What was wrong with her wasn't the guys fault, she knew. It was just that leaving the man she loved stuck behind that wall of ice was eating her out thinking about it. And the morning she went over, she didn't even get a proper chance to tell him how she felt before Daniel, with exquisitely rotten timing, poked his head round the door with Teal'c and doughnuts. Normally the archeologist was a late sleeper, she thought crossly. Why the heck had he gotten his early rising burst of energy on the one time she needed him about a thousand miles away, for crying out loud!

She sat there for a long time, so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Teal'c and Daniel had crept out of the kitchen, and down the hall. I guess I scared them, she thought somewhat sheepishly. Time to apologize.

She went down the hall to find them and stopped at the doorway to what she knew was Jack's bedroom. Normally, she would have been curious, looking at all the pictures and military mementos displayed in the cozy room. But now her eyes were drawn to her friends, and she noticed that they weren't cleaning, but reading papers that were sitting on the desk.

"Sam."

Daniel got up and came over to her, putting his arms around her.

She pulled back, frightened suddenly, as she noticed the whiteness of his face, and the fact that his eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

"Daniel, what is it, what's wrong,?' she said, panicked. "Major Carter, we do not wish to alarm you ", Teal''c said quietly to her. But she could tell that even the usually stoic Jaffa was shaken, his mouth tighter than usual, and his eyes dark.

"We have some letters here for all of us, Sam, " Daniel said quietly. "They are letters written by Jack the night before he left. Teal'c and I have read ours, and I have one for General Hammond, too. But Sam, there's one here for you. He kept it in my keeping, to decide what to do. I think that you should have it. It might stop you from making a wrong decision in your life. "

"What do you mean, what decision? " , she asked, confused, staring at the sealed letter in Daniels hand.

" I just think you should read it , " said Daniel, starting to go out with Teal'c. " Sit down here, and see what Jack says. I know you care about him, Sam. I think you'll find he does, too. I'll be at home later if you want to talk. " He kissed her softly on the cheek and walked out the door.

She stared dumfounded at the letter in her hand, almost afraid to open it up. Could it be so, she wondered. Did he really still care, or was she deceiving herself, pinning her hopes on what was unattainable still?

One way to find out, she told herself

She got a knitted throw from the chair in the corner, curled herself in a ball on Jack's bed, and began to read.

TBC...


	7. My Dearest Sam

Here it is- hope you like it...

----------------------

My dearest, dearest Sam.

Well, this has got to be the ultimate cliche of all time. Me, who is scared to death of feelings, having to write them out. And to you. I think I agonized all night over what to write, but now that I am, the words are flowing. I didn't know whether to call you Carter, off the bat, so as not to scare you, but figured, let's be honest here. It's just you and me. And you are my dearest, even though you won't probably know it till after I am gone.

I love you, Samantha Carter.

I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life.

I love you now, and I'll love you forever.

Every bit as much as I did at the Zatar'c testing all those years ago, in fact more, because of all that we have been through together since. I can't imagine my life without you in it. If by some miracle I make it through this rotten thing alive, I swear I will show you how much. Make up for all our wasted, lost time. I only hope that we can.

Every mission we have been on together, I have been scared. Scared, no, simply terrified, of losing you, of having to walk down that ramp without you and face the rest of my life alone. I don't think I could have done it. it would have hurt worse than when Charlie died, it would have been ripping my heart out into little pieces, leaving me an empty shell. I think a thousand of Ba'al's torture chamber's would be preferable than life without you.

When I held you in my arms when Janet was killed, all I could think of was thank God it wasn't you. Maybe that's wrong. I miss Janet a lot, she was a good friend to us all, and I still grieve for her; but I love you so much that at that moment, part of me could only be thankful that you were spared. It helped a lot that we found comfort in each other's arms too, realizing that life goes on through sorrow, and we have to draw strength from our loved ones left behind.

I have been going over all our missions together in my mind all day, realizing the impact that you made on my life in each one. Our trip to Antarctica- and no, it wasn't my sidearm.. Of course the mission that caused the whole Zatar'c nightmare to happen, when we were stuck behind that damned wall. The whole time loop thingy, where, I gotta tell you, I did a whole lotta kissing you for wonderful weeks on end... I think it took a week to get the smile off my face, the first time. And when Daniel asked was I ever tempted to do anything crazy, all I could think of was you. You just fit more perfectly into my arms every time I kissed you, your soft skin and lips were everything I had dreamed of and more, and it got so I didn't want the loop to ever end.

When you were chased by the super soldier, I never was so scared in my life. I thought for sure that was it, that I was going to lose you then. When you leaned your head against my shoulder when we were sitting behind the rock, I wanted to hold you forever in my arms and keep you safe. So that nothing would hurt you again.

When that damn entity tried to take you over, Hammond said we might have to make some tough decisions, meaning if you were lost to us. I kept my cool, but I think he understood, and the unspoken words between us said volumes. I couldn't have let you die, I was threatening that thing to overrun it's world if you weren't given back to us right now. I was ready to do anything.

I wished I had said a proper goodbye to you before I left for South America to find Daniel. You remember I came into your lab, not knowing if either or us was coming back. I almost kissed you senseless right there, thinking it would be my only chance, but once again lost my nerve, Sam. How I wish I had done it.

If that damn Martouf, or Nareem had looked at you one more time, though, I swear I would have gotten Thor to banish them to distant ice planets with no Stargates.

Your incredible knowledge and intelligence, to be able to fix almost every situation, or device, is just one of the things I love so much. You astound me every time without fail, and even when I don't understand a quarter of what you say, I am just beaming inside with delight and pride. Not to mention that you are the best soldier I have ever served with. I put my life willingly in your keeping, every mission, just like my heart is in your keeping too.

Your dad knows how I feel about you. Oh, I didn't tell him, but he's a smart guy, you know. He sees a lot that we don't think he does.

He read me the riot act one day and said that I had better get a move on, and something to the effect that if I ever hurt you, there wouldn' t be a big enough galaxy for me to hide in. And he gave me his blessing, as it was. We have a lot in common, him and I, I realized. We look at life the same way, I think, and maybe that comes from our military training. But I love him like a dad, and I only wish that he really was going to be so...

Every time I asked you to come fishing, and you said no, I was scared that it was because you didn't love me, that you knew I would put you on the spot, and were trying to spare all our feelings and things getting awkward. I am sorry as I can be that I locked it 'in the room' , as it were, after that damned testing. I should have trusted my gut, and let it all out, and sorted out a solution with you. All our unspoken words. Every look that you gave me, or I gave you, but we did nothing about it. Just looked.

When you were lost on the Prometheus, I almost lost my mind. I almost wanted to give up the search. Daniel couldn't understand why, but it was because it almost seemed better to do so rather than prolong the knife agony sticking into my heart by continuing it. Every time a team came back empty without you, I wanted to kill them. I didn't know how much more of it I could stand. Teal'c cornered me in the locker room, and informed me that you had felt the same way when I was stuck with Maybourne. We owe them a lot, Sam. If there is any future happiness to be found with us, it is owed in no small part to him and Daniel.

When you called me Jack when you woke up from your concussion, I was almost dancing with happiness. But had to cover it up, once again. . . I can't tell you how many times I wanted to hear my name from your lips rather than Colonel, or Sir. There were so many times I almost ran into Hammond's office to resign, but was afraid you didn't feel the same way still.

I know I hurt you when I was stuck on Edora, and for that I can only beg your forgiveness. I know we talked a little about it before, and I said I gave up, that I didn't think I was ever coming back. That was true, Sam, but I am sorrier than I can say that I gave up on us, on you, fighting so hard to bring me home. All I can do is hope you forgive me.

I gotta tell you, this isn't the way I thought I'd buy it, Carter. I always thought it would be on a mission, maybe saving your ever-so sweet ass from hordes of oncoming bad guys, yadda, yadda. Or maybe stranded off world together like we were in Antarctica, which wouldn't have been so bad if it was only warmed, or Teal'c and I drifting pass the Ort cloud . Maybe if my most secret dreams had come true, it would have been after a life together with you and me with our kids and maybe even grandkids along for the ride. You fixing up my busted old soldier knees, sitting on our dock side by side, watching the sunset holding hands, and growing happier with every day that we had the good fortune to be together.

This whole Ancient device thingy just wasn't in the cards. Stuck here alone, on Earth. With no Thor to help me out. The bad cliche of all time.

What I said before still holds true, Carter. Get yourself out of that godforsaken lab once in a while. Play golf, knit something, get a life.

I'm only sorry it won't be with me.

I'm leaving you my cottage and land, Sam. I'm leaving it to you as an escape hatch, a place to go to relax from the world, and just sit back and stare at the water. I'm leaving it to you because it was the most precious thing I own, not in monetary value, but in my heart. It was a place where I could be Jack, not Colonel O'Neill. And you have been the most precious thing to me since the day you walked into that briefing room and grabbed my life from me with both hands. The sound I heard was my heart beating again, a sound which I thought had died forever with my son.

I would have wanted to be with you every day, hold you every night for the rest of our lives, to share our memories, and experiences, to laugh, and love, and be happy as husband and wife.

Sam, when you get to the cottage, there's a box on the mantel of the fireplace. It holds a ring I hoped you would once wear. A ring that I have been holding onto for years, hoping to give to you someday, only I lost my nerve until now when it is too late.

I'm leaving it all to you with the request that you get the team up there, at least once a year, and all sit on the dock and raise a beer to the old days. Hell, even make it an SGC barbeque day- I would love to see Siler and Walter sitting there just doing nothing for a change. Just make sure you go alone one night, sit on the dock by yourself, and look up at the stars. Pick a star, Sam, and wish on it for me. Know that I am sitting there with you, loving you, and always will. .

I will love you till my last dying breath on this Earth, and forever.

Always.

Jack.

TBC....


	8. Here's to life

"You know, Jack, this was a really great idea," remarked Daniel thoughtfully, manuevering his way around assorted chatting gateroom crew, all laughing and balancing their plates of barbeque and beers. "I don't think that we have ever had an SCG outing of everyone, and an annual BBQ day here at your cabin is just brilliant! I mean, look at everyone, they're having a great time!"

"Told ya, " Jack returned smugly, grinning while he flipped burgers and ribs with an expert hand, and taking a swig of beer. "Want another burger, yet,T? " he asked the tall man sitting beside him in a chair on the grass. " Not yet, O"Neill, I must save room or I will be too full to take part in your archery competition this afternoon. " "Yeah, who would have thought that Siler would have won the fishing contest this morning! " Daniel laughed. " I never knew he was such an expert fisherman.. did you see the size of that trout!"

"Yeah, too bad about the bee sting, though, " chuckled Jack. "Trust Siler, I mean if anyone was going to get one..!"

"I am puzzled, O'Neill", Teal'c said wonderingly. "When I came up here with you years ago, there seemed to be no fish here. Now it is full. I do not understand what has happened. "

" I stocked it full of trout, T, " laughed Jack. " I knew that I had to ever since I retired up here, and I wanted to have everyone up to celebrate, and it does make it fun, doesn't it." He looked around at everyone laughing and enjoying themselves, walking down to the waters edge, or just sitting back on lawn chairs or blankets, enjoying the sharp fresh air and the view of pine trees and lake. He smiled at the sight of General Hammond sitting by the telescope already set up on the dock, as if eager for the first sight of the stars to come out that evening.

He turned his head as an arm slipped softly around his waist and Sam's blond head nestled to his shoulder in a hug. "About time for the cake, I guess, Sam?" " he asked hopefully, thinking of the enormous chocolate cake in the fridge inside to celebrate their engagement. " I"ll bring it out, then, " she laughed, giving him a quick kiss. "Like I don't know you and your cake, Jack!"

" I am happy for you, O'Neill,' Teal'c said quietly. " After all you have been through, it pleases me more than I can say to have you and Major Carter together at last." " Me, too, Jack" , said Daniel, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezing it tightly.

Jack looked at the perfect day, at the water shining before them, at his friends all around wishing him and Sam well. He remembered the days after he had come home finally from Antarctica, and Sam being rescued from Fifth, and how they had come up here for a week together and talked and held each other for hours and days. About themselves, about the letters that Jack had written, and about how much they loved each other and never wanted to be apart again. When Jack settled the ring on Sam's finger, with happy tears pouring from her beautiful blue eyes, it seemed the years of wasted feelings and disappointments evaporated, and all they could see before them was the future. Their future together, as bright as the stars that they travelled among.

Now with the thought of being together finally with the woman he knew he would love forever, the enormity of his feelings bubbled up from him like a well spring of happiness.

"Here's to life, guys, " he said, enveloping his best friends in a huge, uncharacteristic O'Neill hug.

"It's the best thing there is. "

And the sun winked merrily off the ring on Sam's left hand as she appeared before the clapping guests carrying the huge cake.


End file.
